CASTRO: Michigan can't afford slow starts against Big Ten elite

By RANDY CASTRO

Sunday, January 6, 2013

ANN ARBOR -- Michigan got off to another notoriously slow start Sunday afternoon at home against unranked Iowa. While it didn't ultimately didn't cost them their perfect record, the Wolverines have made a habit of playing from behind in the early stages of games.

That's a trend that surely cannot continue.

While it's easy to overlook against the likes of Binghamton or Eastern Michigan, top-tier Big Ten teams won't be as forgiving as many of Michigan's non-conference opponents.

Michigan spotted the Hawkeyes an early 7-0 lead Sunday, finding itself in dogfight through much of the first half.

The Wolverines didn't claim their first lead until the 10:05 mark in the first half against an unranked Hawkeye team that nearly upended Indiana less than a week prior. While Michigan showed flashes of brilliance, namely the entire second half, it can ill afford to have repeat performances of the first half of Sunday's game.

The Hoosiers or Buckeyes likely wouldn't let them off the hook, especially when Michigan takes to the road.

Ignoring the perpetual cynic within, the Wolverines played a beautiful brand of basketball over the final 20 minutes. It was highlight play after highlight play, as they used a 21-8 run to open the half, to put to bed any thoughts of an upset. At least for the immediate future, Michigan put the sluggish start out of mind.

Though count on, with the high acclaim and the newly-found target on their back, the Wolverines will be tested. Nothing against the likes of upset-minded Iowa, but hosting the unranked Hawkeyes in the second conference game of the year carries quite a bit less weight than the looming showdown with the Buckeyes in Columbus next Sunday and another in Minnesota Jan. 17.

While what Michigan was able to to do Sunday might have silenced the alarms to any concern of their inability to start strong out of the gate, that will be a point of emphasis for its future opponents.

The solution is simple enough. Start with fundamentals.

Rather than try to answer in emphatic, highlight-reel caliber fashion, as was often the case during their dry spell early on Sunday, keep running the basic offense. Michigan has an abundance of playmakers on its roster, and will have mismatches somewhere on the floor against any team it will face the rest of the way.

The task facing the coaching staff over the next few weeks is making sure Michigan doesn't allow a higher-caliber opponent to repeat what Iowa did early on. An emphasis on defensive rotation, eliminating the opposition's offensive rebounds and improving early-game shot selection would turn an already nearly-unbeatable team into a juggernaut heading into the meat of its conference schedule.

Michigan spent much of Sunday the way it has the rest of the regular season; like one of, if not the, nation's top team. To have a chance to earn top billing, it would behoove them to find a way to put 40 minutes of that brand of basketball together in the near future.

With a pair of top-10 teams on the docket over the next two week's, now's as good a time as any.